Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeSector NewsU.S.: MIT scientists building mobile fruit ripening sensor

U.S.: MIT scientists building mobile fruit ripening sensor

MIT chemistry professor Timothy Swager hopes the ethylene-detecting sensors could be attached to cardboard boxes of produce and scanned with a handheld device, letting grocers know when to put certain items on sale to boost rotation before they are overripe.

“If we can create equipment that will help grocery stores manage things more precisely, and maybe lower their losses by 30%, that would be huge,” he says

“Food is something that is really important to create sensors around, and we’re going after food in a broad sense.”

An MIT release said monitors already exist that use gas chromatography or mass spectroscopy, seperating gases and analyzing their composition, but these systems cost around US$1,200.

“Right now, the only time people monitor ethylene is in these huge facilities, because the equipment’s very expensive,” Swager said.

The sensor consists of an array of tens of thousands of carbon nanotubes, which have been modified to detect ethylene gas through the addition of copper atoms, which serve as ’speed bumps’ to slow the flowing electrons.

When ethylene is present it binds to these copper atoms and slows down the flow of electrons even more. To detect the presence of ethylene, the sensors need only see by how much the electrons slow down, which is also known as resistance.

To make the device even more sensitive, the researchers added tiny beads of polystyrene, which absorbs ethylene and concentrates it near the carbon nanotubes.

Swager has filed for a patent on the technology and hopes to start a company to commercialize the sensors, while he also plans to develop a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip so that the sensor can communicate wirelessly with a handheld device that would display ethylene levels.

He estimates the carbon nanotube sensor would cost US$0.25 while each RFID chip would cost US$0.75.

“This could be done with absolutely dirt-cheap electronics, with almost no power.”

www.freshfruitportal.com

RELATED ARTICLES
- Advertisment -

Most Popular

Recent Comments

Anthony Mutai on Kephis certfied nurseries
GEORGE GAKUO on Kephis certfied nurseries
Beatrice Atieno on Change of guard at Sian Roses
Thomas M.Nzesi on Kephis certfied nurseries
Samson Ongus on Kephis certfied nurseries
Mr Ombeva Iduvagwa on Flowers From Molo Greens
Kipkemoi Samson on Cabbage production tips
JOYCE NAKHANU WAMALWA on Kenya avocados export on the rise
justus wandera on Cabbage production tips
MICHAEL BENEDICT on Kenya avocados export on the rise
murimi gathoni on Cabbage production tips
Olipha Kerubo Atambo on Kenya avocados export on the rise
Mbusa Stephen on Production of Apples
Sospeter Lemoigo on Kephis certfied nurseries
Benjamin temo on Cabbage production tips
Rashid Kipchumba on Kenya avocados export on the rise
Beatrice Ledama on Cabbage production tips
Akello Babra on Cabbage production tips
David gechure ondora on Cabbage production tips
Rutoh titus on Cabbage production tips
Emmanuel Barasa on Cabbage production tips
semujjus@gmail.com solomon on Bungoma’s growing passion